


The King's Emissary

by llamawithacoolhat



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Character Death, Family, Friendship, Gen, Golden Age (Narnia), No Romance, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Pevensies growing up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:59:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4540677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llamawithacoolhat/pseuds/llamawithacoolhat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Edmund always had friends among the Narnians, but there was one in particular who had a great influence on his rule; a wolf whom he's known and trained as one of his greatest agents- his best friend. </p>
<p>*** Set during the Golden Age of Narnia (Main year being 1008, 8 years after the Pevensies were crowned)<br/>* Will be chapter "flashbacks"<br/>* Lucy- 15, Edmund- 17, Susan- 19, Peter- 20<br/>*** Characters from C.S. Lewis's original "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" are included along with new ones<br/>*** The main plot of this work will focus on war</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Taut Wire

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this story on FanFiction.net, but realized that this story was too special to be kept in one place. The characters created by C.S. Lewis, along with my own characters, interacted more beautifully than I could have ever imagined. Writing this story has helped me learn so much about the values of friendship and love. I hope that you will read beyond these words presented to you, and find meaning within this interpretation of The Chronicles of Narnia.  
> Thank you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- Edmund reunites with an old foe.

 

"Foolish human, you have dared to wander farther than your people can protect you."

King Edmund ignored the black dwarf's words from where he stood, slightly bent over from the low ceiling in the middle of the dimly lit cave. His hazel eyes were cautiously dark as he ever so slightly tightened his grip on the sword strapped to his waist. If it had been up to him- which it hadn't- the young king never would have stepped foot inside of the hostile dwarfs' home. Their people were notoriously known for their absolutely horrid temper and inability to welcome anyone anytime, but that hadn't seemed to phase his arrogant older brother for a moment.

"They trust you, Ed." High King Peter had said just a tad bit too confident for comfort, "It will be as simple as the Ogres and the Boggles." Oh how Edmund wished Peter could be here right now so he could express his lovely thoughts on how elementary the objective had been.

At the dark king's side a lithe, timber wolf twitched and the fur around her neck quivered slightly. The she-wolf had been by Edmund's side from almost the moment she was spawned, trained by his own hand. There was no one he trusted more to be with on such a dangerous gamble. The wolf casually pressed the left side of her flank against Edmund's leg, barely making contact with his mid-thigh. His eyes flickered to the left side at his partner's warning, and he spotted two dwarfs advancing on them with weapons drawn. Edmund blinked and slid his hand away from his sword, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"I merely implore a council with your leaders." King Edmund said, turning his muddy eyes back to the black dwarf who had intercepted them. The dwarf let out a low chortle.

"We have no superiors here."

"Then your elders will suffice." Edmund quipped. He should have known the dwarfs were going to be difficult. The pygmy narrowed his eyes and motioned for the group of other small creatures to surround the two intruders.

"And what does the would-be King of Narnia wish to confer with our elders at such an hour of night?"

"It would be wise to watch your tongue, creature, before it crawls away." The wolf growled with blazing amber eyes. The dwarf's eyes flashed angrily and he pulled out a small dagger.

"You're one to speak, traitor!" He hissed. The wolf bristled and her lips curled into a cruel snarl, but she swiftly reigned herself in at two discreet taps on a sword from the king's finger. The rage in her golden orbs was stifled by impatience and she twitched again, signaling to her king of her discomfort.

"A treaty, between your people and mine." King Edmund said, growing tired of their games. "It is time that the feud between us ended before more lives are unnecessarily lost."

"And who are you to decide that?" A new, frail voice cut through the air from a tunnel to the right, and all heads turned. Edmund nodded a slight greeting to the hauntingly familiar face as he entered the room.

"Ginarrbrik," Edmund's voice strained only slightly, but he swallowed it, "I can't say it is pleasant to see you again, but being one of the Kings of Narnia it is my duty to keep peace in this land." The elderly dwarf scowled and dared to step closer to the king and his sentinel.

"We are not ruled by you or any of Narnia's _'Kings and Queens'_!" Ginarrbrik spat, "Jadis was the true power of Narnia, and always will be!"

Edmund's hand tightened around his sword, his flesh beginning to turn a dark crimson color at the mention of the White Witch's name. He would never admit it to anyone, but the sound of her name still sent goosebumps along his spine, reminding him of the pale face that haunted his dreams every night. The wolf sensed King Edmund's anger, and could almost feel his jaw clenching.

"Are you really so naive?" She snarled with a lash of her tawny tail.

"Nyra, stand down." Edmund deadpanned as the dwarfs around them shifted crossly. The wolf dug her honed claws into the dirt, but kept her mouth shut and head high. Both heard the offhand jibe of a black dwarf calling the wolf a 'pet', although neither acknowledged.

"We refuse to accept your  _reign_ ," Ginarrbrik finalized, turning to exit the cavern, "so feel free to inform your King." The dwarf suddenly turned, "Or perhaps he would get the same message if we sent back your rotting corpse."

Edmund remained poker-faced, but Nyra took a threatening step forward and the dwarfs unsheathed their swords.

"Control your dog,  _my lord_." Ginarrbrik sneered, "I would be just as ecstatic to send you away carrying your dead companion."

Edmund's face finally broke into an enraged scowl, and he drew his sword. This insolent, poignant excuse for a being could threaten him to his heart's desire- but no one threatened his friend. The dwarf cackled enthusiastically at the reaction from the human.

"Have a soft spot for the mutt, do you now?" Ginarrbrik taunted, "How long do you think it will be until she turns and gives in to her true nature- her true master?"

That was the final straw. Without warning, the massive wolf launched herself at the dwarf and pinned him to the ground with her lean legs. A few of the other black dwarfs remained where they were, slightly stunned, until they came to their senses and ran at the wolf with blades out as she locked onto Ginarrbrik's forearm with her powerful jaws and split through his flesh as though it were a pillow. The elderly dwarf yelled in pain as blood ran down his arm and dripped onto his graying beard. The wolf released his arm and turned to barrel into another dwarf as Edmund fought his way back to where they had entered from.

"Nyra, come on!" Edmund shouted over the clanging of metal. As good of a fighter he wanted to admit the wolf was when she was angry, there was no way they were going to win against so many dwarfs in an enclosed area.

The wolf threw off one more dwarf, before hurling herself over the small crowd of creatures to reach King Edmund. The human blocked an attack from one of the many dwarfs, and used his weight to push the small man back as his partner finally managed to join him at the end of the cave. Edmund turned to run first, leading the way through the dark tunnel towards the twilight that awaited them outside. He made a mental note to strangle his brother once they returned to the castle, and picked up the pace.

"Call Phillip!" Edmund ordered Nyra. The wolf nodded and sped out of the tunnel ahead of him and into the night. Once they got off of the mountains, it would be easy to put some distance between themselves and the dwarfs.

As soon as Edmund ducked out of the cave and into fresh air, he heard Nyra's eerie cry for the talking horse to meet them as quickly as he could. Still sprinting, Edmund sheathed his sword and dodged a boulder as he stumbled down the rocky slope.

"I'll kill that bloody git..." Edmund seethed through clenched teeth.

A few yards ahead of him, the young king spotted Nyra's blackened shadow at the bottom of the cliff, another figure racing towards her. The patrol they had arrived with waited closer to the mountains to the east of Owlwood, far from any threats that may have come in the Black Dwarfs' territory. Ever since the defeat of the White Witch almost eight years ago, the dwarfs had become even more foreboding; gathering at the farthest northern part of Narnia's borders, taking refuge and hiding until a new evil would come to lead them. They would definitely be the most obstreperous of Jadis's loyalists to come to terms with.

"The sun has set over the mountains, sire." Phillip huffed as he neared King Edmund and sped to a stop so as the human could mount him.

"Then we shall follow it to our encampment." Edmund said, taking up the reins, "We must vacate the area at once."

It took them about two hours before they finally caught sight of Orious's mighty figure, outlined by the crescent moon, waiting for them at the end of ravine they had been traveling down. Beside Phillip, Nyra was limping slightly after an unfortunate encounter with a darkened crack that had torn one of her claws. Edmund could have chuckled at the wolf's clumsiness, but he was far too engaged in organizing the series of curses he was going to throw at his older brother when they returned to Cair Paravel.

"One of our scouts has spotted a patrol of Black Dwarfs following your trail." The centaur informed Edmund as they approached, "They are about an hour behind you. Should we wait and ambush them, or continue on back to the castle?"

Edmund drew in a deep breath and let his eyes flicker down to the shadowed figure of his partner, considering the options. They would have the advantage of higher ground if they climbed the cliffs around them, but the dwarfs were masters of the mountains. They hadn't exactly brought an armada, and most of them were far too exhausted to last against large waves of highly combatant dwarfs. Although, traveling in the dark wasn't something that he favored.

"We don't have the supplies to support an ambush." Edmund finally decided, "We will continue traveling out of the mountain and cover our tracks once we reach level ground." Orious nodded and turned to round up the rest of the patrol as Edmund dismounted Phillip. The dark king bent down to the she-wolf's side and requested to look at her paw.

"I'm fine, my lord." The wolf growled, even though she still allowed him to examine the bloody, dirt covered wound, "It should stop bleeding any moment now." Edmund rolled his eyes and tore off a small sliver of his tunic.

"That may be so, Nyra, but the dwarfs could track any blood you leave behind." He said, carefully wrapping the cloth around her paw so no more blood would drip from it. Even in the dark, he could see the small droplets she had dribbled down the gorge they had come from. The wolf grunted and flicked an ear in disdain. Edmund smirked and mounted Phillip again, ordering the horse to follow where Orious had disappeared to.

"Forgive me, my king." The wolf didn't look at Edmund as they continued on, "I should not have reacted like I did with the dwarfs." Edmund stiffly nodded.

"If you hadn't, I would have." He said grimly, "There is nothing to forgive."

 


	2. What the King Saw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short flashback to Nyra's origins.

It had been almost five years since the wolves had joined forces with the rulers of Cair Paravel. Unlike many other followers of the Witch, the mysterious creatures had chosen to live a solitary life far from the coast. After their grisly defeat, the wolves had scattered; many traveling close to Ettinsmoor while others wandered farther west, wanting nothing more than to escape human faces. They weren't violent, taking only what they needed and keeping a close check on what was happening around their country. Even after their erroneous ruler had been impeached, the wolves still cared about Narnia. That was the thing about the elusive beasts; they were incredibly loyal and attentive- even if none would dare to admit it, but the Just King knew.

King Edmund tended to be exceedingly talented at judging people- not that it was pleasant for anyone else- ever since his unfortunately ruinous start in Narnia. He was the only person who took the time to study others, to look past what they portrayed on the outside and towards what they concealed on the inside. Of course, during the times his temper flared, the dark king never bothered to take the time to pull back the curtain on others. Being around people who tended to order him around- such as his older brother- Edmund would forget the gambit he had so carefully taught himself, and act before thinking.

A small group of timber wolves had pledged their allegiance the the Royals of Cair Paravel in summer of the year 1004. It was something King Edmund remembered well, for they were the first of their kind to make such a bold move, and many others followed in suit. Although, it was not the reason he favored the memory. Spring of the year 1005, the dominant female of the pack had caught Edmund off guard while he was out on an afternoon patrol with Phillip. In her jaws, she carried an infant pup that had been birthed only hours before. The creature was so tiny and vulnerable, fitting in the palms of his hands as a bowl would.

"A gift," The female wolf had told Edmund as she placed her offspring in the gentle hands of the king. "Her name is Nyra."

He had been torn between returning the dosing pup to her rightful family, and never letting the pure creature out of his sight ever again. Edmund had opened his mouth, but no words escaped. His heart pounded in his chest painfully, screaming for him to do the right thing, but he could do nothing but stare down at the innocent beast snuggling closer to his body heat. They didn't take slaves in Cair Paravel, but why did it feel so right to keep this pup? When Edmund looked into the mother's eyes, there was nothing but understanding and hope. She had been just as enchanted with this tiny thing ever since she brought it into the world, but felt wrong to keep it to herself.

"She is meant to be so much more than I can ever do for her." The wolf said, tenderly nuzzling her daughter. "This is just."

Edmund could barely remember riding back to Cair Paravel that day, or even when the female wolf had run off into the wild never to be seen again. What he did remember, was sitting on the floor of the royal kitchen, back against the cupboards as he held a bottle of warm milk for the puppy to suckle. Later that night, as he laid in his bed with the sleeping pup curled in his arms, Edmund knew that he would never be able to let her go.

**  
**


	3. Full Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- Edmund returns to Cair Paravel and reunites with his siblings.

High King Peter was a very hard man to read. Much like his siblings, he always wore a mask of resolution, keeping his thoughts and feelings confined within his continuously calculating head. Just when you think he is about to go left, he turns in a complete circle, throws a dagger and keeps going straight. With only one look at his pale complexion, you instantly get a false impression of the man he gloriously portrays. High King Peter is a leader, he is a guardian, he is a king. When the Pevensies first arrived in Narnia together, Peter had almost instantly taken up his role, no questions asked. There was something about this world that felt righteous to him, an unknown force that had gently nudged him closer to who he was supposed to be. However, somewhere between protecting his family and vanquishing the Witch, the High King had lost his true self in the darkness of his arcane outer-shell. King Edmund was not the only one to suffer from wicked dreams.

"My lord, King Edmund has returned from the mountains." King Peter looked up as a close friend of the Pevensies, Mr. Tumnus, spoke from the threshold of the royal study. His intense gaze flickered away from the Faun towards the window to his right that supplied a steady stream of light over the documents he had been reading over on the large, oak desk.

"Splendid," Peter said with a nod, "inform my brother to meet me in the Solar room, and make sure some food is brought up- I'm sure he's famished." Mr. Tumnus nodded and turned to exit the room, his red scarf whipping around and hitting the wall lightly.

Peter gave himself seven minutes, figuring that his brother would take the time to make sure the patrol he had taken was settled and doing what they were supposed to do. Lucy was probably already down in the courtyard, welcoming Edmund home, and Susan would no doubt be making her way down there after she was finished making sure that their latest guest from Archenland, a professor interested in recording the event of the Battle of Beruna, was settled in his chambers. With a small sigh, the High King folded the aging papers and set them on the side of his desk. Placing his left hand on the sword Father Christmas had given to him, Rhindon, he slowly made his way out of the room and towards the private living quarters he was meeting his brother in.

When Peter finally reached the Solar room, Edmund was standing in the middle of the room, a ominous scowl set upon his dirty face. The fury in his brown eyes was barely smoldered by his greasy bangs as he stared at Peter. Lucy was sitting in a chair at the end of the table, a cautious expression shadowing her freckled cheeks. A few feet away from Edmund, Nyra sat with her ears pressed against the matted fur on her head.

"I take it didn't go well then." Peter said, carefully closing the door behind him. He didn't miss the clenching of his brother's jaw, something he was prone to doing himself.

"Were you trying to get us killed?" Edmund snarled, opening his right shoulder slightly to indicate the wolf agent behind him. Peter sighed and stepped around his seething brother towards the table where Lucy sat.

"Of course not, Ed." He spoke with the patience of an adult reasoning with a child, and that made the dark king boil all the more. Thankfully, the main door of the room swung open and Queen Susan drifted in. A small smile split her lips once she laid eyes on her grungy brother, and it didn't pass her sharp gaze that he was red with anger. Nevertheless, Susan walked over to Edmund and wrapped him in a small embrace.

"I'm glad you're home, Edmund." Susan said softly, but the king wasn't fooled by his sister's attempt to calm him down. Without saying anything more to Susan, Edmund turned back to his brother, who was inching towards the table to sit down.

"Did you know Ginnarbrik was the one leading the Black Dwarfs?" Edmund demanded, his grip on the sword at his side tightening. Peter was silent, his fingers drumming on the back of a chair.

"Pete?" Lucy's quiet voice filled the gaping stillness.

"Did you know." Edmund's voice dropped dangerously low as he fixated his glare on the High King.

"Edmund, let's not jump to conclusions." Susan attempted, coming to her older brother's aid.

"Yes." Peter finally spoke, looking straight at Edmund with the same icy gaze, "Yes, I knew Ginnarbrik was leading the Black Dwarfs." Susan's eyes widened only slightly, but she held her composure.

"Peter, why would you still send Edmund if you knew? They could have killed him!"

"It was a blunder, alright?" Peter said stiffly, "I honestly thought that they would listen to him." By now, Edmund had turned away from his siblings and was facing the eastern wall, eyes closed as he breathed deeply. The wolf guard sat rigid next to Lucy, wanting nothing more than to leave the room, but knowing her place was here to give her report to the High King.

"Why?" Edmund asked quietly, "Why did you think they would listen to me?" His voice grew more fridgid with each word, "Because I was one of them? Because I'm a traitor to Narnia?"

"Edmund!" Susan's eyes flashed angrily in disapproval. The dark king swung around to face his siblings, face set in stone.

"You know you're all thinking it too." He hissed, "Why bother keeping the Witch's slave around the castle when he could massacre us all in our sleep?" Both of his sisters let loose outraged gasps and Peter's jaw jutted out to the side, his palms turning crimson against the back of the chair he was clutching as though it were his only line to reality.

"What's done is done, Edmund." Peter quoted through clenched teeth.

"Don't you dare say that to me." Edmund seethed. There was only one the dark king would ever permit to utter that phrase to him, and he had conveniently abandoned them again.

"Edmund, how could you even presume something so horrid?" Lucy asked quietly, her fingers having found themselves tangled in the wolf guard's fur beside her. For a moment, Edmund looked away, a terrible feeling settling in his gut for voicing such grim thoughts. Susan cautiously approached her brother, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We all love you Edmund, and I trust you with all of my being." Susan said, finally managing to calm him down, "Great Aslan, you're our brother! We're all in this together. Don't worry, we'll get through it- we always have."

Edmund turned his head away from Susan's probing eyes, reigning in his emotions. Without even having to look, he knew that Peter was already pulled together. A soft tap echoed on the wooden door of the room and a satyr poked his head in, carrying a tray full of food. Edmund took a deep breath and pulled away from Susan as Lucy smiled and called for the faun to enter.

"Why don't you sit down and eat something, Ed?" Susan suggested, walking over to an empty chair by Peter, who was still standing behind his own. Edmund stiffly nodded and made his way over to a seat between his sisters as the faun set down the food. Susan thanked the servant and Edmund plucked an apple from the platter of fruit, rolling it in his hands as he threw a nasty glare across the table towards Peter, but the High King wasn't paying him any heed. Instead, Peter had his eyes trained on where Nyra was sitting beside Lucy, the tip of her head peeking over the mahogany table.

"Forgive us, Nyra." Peter apologized, still standing, "Would you please give us your report." The wolf nodded, but was cut off before she could even begin.

"No," Edmund said, squeezing the apple in his hand, "I'll tell you. Nyra, you're free to leave." Peter's jaw clenched again and his eyes flashed in agitation.

"Belay that, I want a full report from you." Peter said, before turning his attention back towards his brother, "Once she informs me on what happened, then you may tell us your side." The apple in Edmund's hands dropped back down on the table as he sat rigid in his seat, face burning.

"Nyra is my agent, so she is under my orders." Edmund deadpanned, entering another staring match with his brother. The wolf flinched and lowered her ears to the top of her head, familiar with the argument.

"I am the High King, so she will answer to me before you." Susan sighed and rested her head in her hands, rubbing the tips of her ears stressfully. Edmund jumped up from his seat and sent the wooden object flying back with a shrill scraping.

"Don't order me around like you're better than me! We rule this castle together."

"Well then, I don't have to remind you that your agents work for me just as much as they work for you."

"I'm sorry, but who trained her again?"

"Oh grow up, Ed!"

"Will you two stop already?" Lucy stood up, meeting her brothers equally. "It's obvious that since you can't settle things on your own, the women will have to take care of business." The youngest of the four siblings turned towards Nyra, not giving anyone else the chance to speak. "Nyra, it would be much appreciated if you told Susan and I of what happened."

The wolf nodded and Edmund clenched his fists, both men realizing how foolish they had been acting. With a slightly audible exhale, Edmund sat back down in his seat again, snatching his apple and taking a bite out of it. Peter remained standing for a moment, letting his cooling gaze linger over his brother for a second longer, before returning to his seat.

"As you are aware, we left approximately a week ago, on the fifteenth of July I believe." Nyra began, "It took a day to reach Owlwood, just outside the perimeter of the Black dwarfs' territory, where we set up camp and remained for another night to observe from a distance. We met little resistance from the other remaining supporters of the Witch within the confinements of the forest- there was a hag who drifted too close to where we had set up base, but it was quickly driven away. On the morning of the third day, King Edmund, Phillip and I traveled the rest of the way through the mountains into the heart of dwarf country to scout out their main encampment. Around midday, the king spotted the entrance to their main cave and sent Phillip to wander the surrounding lands and keep away from enemy swords. Just before the sun set, King Edmund and myself entered the enemy camp through their main entrance." Peter's hands slammed down on the table as he sat up and looked at his brother.

"You walked into their camp?" He asked in disbelief, "Are you crazy?" Edmund's jaw clenched, but Susan held up her hand before he could speak.

"Please, let her continue." It wasn't really a suggestion. Nyra shuffled her paws and flicked an ear before continuing on.

"At first, we were met with no fight from the dwarfs, barely a soul in sight. There were no guards at the entrance, and none in the series of tunnels that led farther into the mountains, but their stench was there." Edmund nodded heedlessly in agreement. "After several minutes of searching for any sign of one of their leaders, a dwarf finally made itself known. King Edmund requested council with their elders for terms of peace, but they refused to comply. Then..." The wolf's amber gaze flickered uncertainly towards Edmund before she resumed.

"The Witch's personal servant, the dwarf by the name of Ginarrbrik, unveiled his position in the shadows. King Edmund requested a treaty once more before him, but Ginarrbrik refused, just like his people." Nyra paused, dropping her stare to the polished floor below.

Edmund's jaw twisted to the side and he tapped his finger on the side of his chair, a cryptic message for the wolf to remain silent.

"And then the Black Dwarfs attacked us." Edmund cut in, mere seconds after Nyra trailed off, "We barely made it out of the tunnels, and we might not have it not for Nyra's advanced fighting skills." The wolf kept her gaze fixed on the ground, not comfortable about not completely informing the other royals of what had happened. "After we escaped, we called Phillip and raced away from the mountains to where the rest of the patrol was waiting. The dwarfs followed us, but we managed to shake them off near the river. And so here we are, back at Cair Paravel." Susan blinked skeptically, having not missed the short pause, but allowing it to pass for the time being.

"Thank you, Nyra," The elegant queen said, "you are free to go."

The massive wolf nodded and bowed before padding out of the room. The table was silent, each sibling leaning upon a hand and reflecting on the events that had just occurred. Now that the conflict of who was to report had been settled, a larger issue was at stake now. The threat of more battles loomed ahead of them, and neither side was prepared to yield.

"I believe we need to call court to discuss this." Peter said, his face at last returning to the mask of calm he perpetually radiated. "But first, why don't you get some rest, Ed."

The dark king's brown eyes scanned over his brother for any sign of superiority, but he found none. The High King stood from his chair and gave his younger siblings a weary smile before backing away and opening the door to leave the room.

 


	4. Ambivalence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- Edmund and Peter are comforted.

On the south side of Cair Paravel's greenhouse was an unused section that had become overrun by foliage and vines. No one really knows why the gardeners never used it, but it never mattered much to those who used the area. It was peaceful, the glass panels having fallen out to allow constant sunlight, and part of the wall broke away sometime before the start of the Golden Ages to give view of the gates that all visitors and residents of the castle used. Not far from the breach in the wall was a stone bench. Technically, it was just a flat boulder, but it worked wonderfully as a pew in any case. About a month after the Pevensies had their coronation, the newly named King Edmund the Just was exploring the castle- as any young boy would do- when he'd stumbled upon the greenhouse. The Dryads and Nymphs were the ones who cared for and raised the plants that provided Cair Paravel with food, but on the day Edmund had discovered the chamber of life, the plants' caregivers were absent. Surprisingly, the greenhouse was hidden through a series of intricate hallways and past the always bustling kitchen. When King Edmund had found the abandoned section on the sunny day in April, he laid on the warm boulder and stared at the clouds as they floated by in the clouds. It was the only room the king was able to think clearly without feeling as though someone were listening to him, and so it became his own.

Four years later, King Edmund opened up the room- and with it, himself- to someone. Nyra was only two weeks old when the king carried her, vulnerable and wriggling, to the greenhouse. He sat on the ground, legs spread apart, and placed the tiny wolf on a patch of soft grass that was growing in the sunlight between his limbs. The wolf pup's eyes had opened the day before within the warmth of Edmund's chambers, and the boy king had long before decided to bring her to his safe haven. At such a young age, Nyra was not yet able to speak, so Edmund silently introduced her to the world.

It was in the greenhouse the wolf guard found King Edmund, unceremoniously perched against the stone boulder, one leg lying straight out and the other bent so his elbow rested upon his knee. Nyra lowered her head and mutely padded around the bench, settling herself beside the king, who hadn't acknowledged her presence yet. A light wind blew through the hole in the wall, rustling the vines that ran along the ground like lines on a map. Edmund leaned his head back against the boulder, staring up at the red and violet sky.

"May I ask?"

Edmund turned his head slightly as Nyra spoke, his eyes doing a swift scan to make sure no one else was in the warehouse.

"Go ahead." Edmund said quietly, looking back through the nonexistent roof.

Nyra sat up taller and wrapped her tail around her large paws, "Why did you not allow me to finish my report to your siblings?" Edmund was still, deliberating his answer.

"It’s not the first time I've done it." The king finally said, "How is it that you've only noticed now?" The wolf's ear twitched, irritated that the king had turned her question around to return to her.

"I am merely curious." Nyra prompted, staring past the broken wall to where the sentinels were positioned next to the entrance of the castle. Edmund sighed and placed both of his hands on the grass beneath where they were sitting.

"They didn't need to know one of the many reasons the dwarfs attacked us."

"You believe that they shouldn't know about me attacking first." Edmund clenched his jaw and shifted his position.

"It wasn't your fault." He said stubbornly. The wolf flicked her tail in annoyance.

"My lord-

"Nyra, we're alone." The king gently teased, a small smile finding its way to the corners of his lips. Nyra let out an exasperated sigh and collapsed her body onto the soft ground, turning her large head to stare at the human.

"Edmund," She corrected herself, "I was the first to make a hostile move. When a war comes, I am the one to be held accountable." The wolf didn't miss the sharp ripple of anger that passed under King Edmund's skin.

"No, Nyra, you were not the first one to attack." Edmund's voice dropped low and he turned to look at the wolf, "I forbid you to ever think that again. The black dwarfs have been attacking innocent Narnians for months- remember Mylai?" Nyra let out a deep growl as he mentioned the innocent Satyr trading post that had been raided and burned only weeks ago. "Whether my brother knows that you punished them for what they did matters not."

"It matters to me." Edmund scowled and turned away from the wolf.

"Fine then, go tell him!" He deadpanned, "I don't care."

They were both still for a moment, measuring the extent of each other's words. Nyra's ears were pressed against her head and she pushed her torso up to sit, and then stand. Edmund didn't mean what he said, he usually didn't, and the wolf knew that. Wordlessly, Nyra turned her leith body and began to walk around the boulder to the opposite side of the greenhouse where the door was. She walked slow, her giant paws leaving slight imprints on the dirt below. Edmund pressed his back against the boulder, clenching his fists in waiting. It was a test of will; who would break first. Nyra's amber eyes flickered back to the stone bench, and Edmund's towards the path the wolf was taking. It was a game they were all too familiar with.

Just as Edmund bunched his muscles to turn, Nyra swung around and bounded towards the stone bench, jumping up and balancing on the slab's flat surface. Her tail whipped to the side and Edmund let loose a sly smirk, looking up at the wolf who towered over him from this angle.

"Yes you do." Nyra said lightly, nudging the King's head with her wet nose.

"What makes you think that?" Edmund chuckled, turning away from the wolf again to face the hole in the wall. Nyra rolled her eyes and bent her head down to wrap her powerful jaws around Edmund's sword that he had laid against the boulder.

"Prat." The wolf taunted, before snatching the metal and leaping off the bench.

It took Edmund a good two seconds before he realized what happened, and, when he did, the king scrambled to his feet and took off running after the wolf. Nyra lashed her tail and easily bounded ahead of Edmund, keeping her distance from the human. The sword bounced awkwardly in her jaws, the sheathed blade scraped the ground as the wolf attempted to lift her head higher to keep it from getting dirty rather unsuccessfully. For the first time in months, King Edmund's body relaxed and allowed itself to escape from the harsh decisions of the real world as he chased after the wolf guard. Only when Edmund tripped over a brick in the darkness did the hunt cease.

Edmund huffed and rolled over onto his back in the grass, breathing deeply and smiling as Nyra darted over and promptly dropped his sword on his stomach, hilt first. The king grunted and grabbed the blade before Nyra had the chance to change her mind about releasing his weapon. With a small yawn, the wolf flopped down beside Edmund and laid her head on his chest, just above where she had placed his sword. Edmund smirked and repositioned one of his hands to rest between Nyra's ears, the tip of his pinky grazing the puppy-soft fur that covered the back of her ears. The two laid there, breathing together as the night dragged itself closer. It was the type of peaceful you would find only in the company of the one who you could trust with your heart and soul, one who you could confide in, one who you could count on to always be there right beside you in your darkest hour- and surprisingly, the most common type of peace there is.

"Come on then," The wolf finally stretched her legs and stood, pushing the king with her snout, "even kings need their rest." Edmund smirked and pushed off of the ground, one hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword.

"I'm going! I'm going!" The wolf let out an amused growl and playfully nipped at the heels of his shoes as the human made his way to the exit of the greenhouse.

As they walked through the darkness together, a torch lighting the way every once in a while in the dim castle, Edmund strapped his sword back around his belt. It still came as a surprise to the Just King that the older he got, the less time he had to himself- it wasn't exactly something he enjoyed. Nyra grunted as they reached the steps, taking them two at a time. Edmund hated taking the stairs one step at a time, it was something that she had learnt at a young age. Always leaping, never shuffling.

"I expect you to get some sleep as well, Nyra." Edmund said as they neared the hallway that led to his room. The wolf snorted and loosely nodded her head in a distracted manner. To their left, the silhouette of one of the many guards stationed around the castle fell upon the stone floor. The king rested his right palm on the door, turning to look back at his friend. "I mean it." Nyra merely stared back up at the adolescent.

"Goodnight, Ed." She said quietly, sitting down and staring up at him. Edmund narrowed his eyes and studied Nyra for a moment, before opening his door and slipping into the dark room. Sometimes, he really never knew what that wolf did at night, and it bothered him to no ends.

The Narnian remained perched next to the king's door for nearly five minutes, staring into the darkness of the corridor to make sure everything was still, while swiveling her ears to make sure that Edmund was getting his royal behind into bed like he was supposed to. Once the air was still, Nyra carefully unfolded her tail from around her paws and started back down the hall where they had come from. Her day wasn't even close to finished yet. Traveling down the stairs, the wolf turned and padded past the dead kitchen towards the library. The only sound in the castle came from her sharp nails tapping against the polished floor. Not many souls wandered Cair Paravel at this time of the night, and those who did, ended up in the library... or the kitchen.

The Royal Study was situated in the western corner of the hall of books, strategically placed within a maze of shelves. It was a place that often wasn't found by one seeking it out, but by one who was aimlessly roaming and would accidentally stumble upon the lavish room. There was only ever one person in the castle who used the room. As Nyra approached the hidden door, her amber eyes latched onto the faint glow that squeezed its way under the wood. The door was always left partially open, a silent promise of welcome to any who managed to find their way to the room. Nyra shoved her muzzle in the space between the door and the wall, and used her head to wiggle the door further open.

"May I come in, my lord?"

High King Peter's head snapped up from the parchment he was studying, and he brushed a stray blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Of course, Nyra, you're always welcome." He said with a small smile. The wolf nodded and squeezed her way into the room, gliding over to the king.

"Are you not weary?" It was a question she asked him almost every night that she found him cooped up in the room, hunched over one paper after another.

"I find that I cannot sleep, I'm afraid." Peter sighed, sitting back in his seat to make eye contact with the wolf as she sat by his side, head tilting over the desk to see what he was working on.

"Can not or will not?" Nyra asked quietly, bringing her tail close to her body. Peter smirked and repositioned his quill on the desk.

"A bit of both actually." He said with the faintest traces of sadness. Nyra nodded her head and leaned against his chair, at ease.

"It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are, the longer you take about getting to bed."

Peter pulled his hands back and rested them in his lap, staring at his fingers and allowing his body to collapse. The single candle on the bureau flickered slightly as a light wind blew in through the open window. The High King turned his gaze to look into the wild amber that floated in the wolf's eyes, attempting to sort out why she ever came in to sit with him. The truth was, Nyra didn't know why either. It was something that had started such a long time ago that neither of them had ever come to question it out loud.

"Everyone needs to rest, my lord." Nyra said, twisting her body to fall on the maroon rug and tuck her limbs into her body comfortably. "Even if they convince themselves that they aren't tired." Peter nodded slightly and leaned his head back on his chair slightly to stare up at the ceiling.

"They're..." Peter hesitated for a moment, contemplating on voicing his thoughts. "They're getting worse; the dreams." Nyra let out a small growl and shuffled closer to the king as though she was trying to comfort him. "It's always him. He's always there, just... sitting there and watching. He chooses to do nothing while I drown."

"Do you believe that it means something?"

"No... Yes... I'm not sure."

"Perhaps it really is him, but he wants you to fight your own battles." Nyra said softly, dropping her head down to lay on her paws.

"But I don't know how." The king winced when his voice cracked, quickly swallowing his fear.

"Do you have faith in him?"

"Of course!"

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Peter stared down at his hands again, picking at the sides of his fingers.

"He's left before, what if he never returns?" Nyra whipped her tail out and promptly smacked the High King's leg.

"There is never 'what if', there is only 'what is'." She growled, "Aslan does things for a reason, and he wouldn't have left Narnia in you and your siblings' care if he didn't have complete trust in you." Peter nodded again, ceasing his erratic hand movements. The wolf sighed and stretched her body, nose touching the cool wall and tail bunching up beside the desk.

"May I ask for your forgiveness, Nyra, for my earlier behavior?" His voice was stronger now, backed up by new assurance. The beast snorted and turned her head to look at the king.

"Of course, all is forgiven."

Peter smiled and finally turned back to his work, dipping his quill in the ink as Nyra closed her eyes. There was work to be done, and now it could be done without a heavy heart to weigh it down.

 


	5. A Dark Veil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- A counsel of Cair Paravel's most trusted advisors gather to discus the possibility of an uprising of the White Witch's former followers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New character introduced: Carperwel the Gryphon

The massive wolf carefully slid through the dimly lit forest, her thick fur scraping up against the sharp bushes as she made her way down the invisible path. The day was barely new, yet there was so much to be done. As soon as the first bird began to sing in the dark castle, High King Peter had sent Nyra to summon their most trusted Narnians to council. Fortunately, most of them resided in Cair Paravel, but there was one who lived away from the boisterous castle. Southward on the beach and farther inland lived a shady, but loyal friend of the Kings and Queens; Carperwel the Gryphon. Not that she was going to admit it to her king, but Nyra had never actually liked the feathery creature- perhaps having something to do with his missing eye. Carperwel wasn't exactly the friendliest of Narnians, but he was intelligent. As it happens, he had been the one who suggested the trading post on the border of Archenland and Narnia. The agreement had not only strengthened the two countries as allies, but assisted the new Kings and Queens in displaying their reign to the rest of the neighboring realms. Although, that didn't change the fact that he had once set the forest around Cair Paravel ablaze after he pushed both himself and some poor faun into a large bonfire during summer festives. Both of them were perfectly fine, but the tree spirits hadn't been exactly fond of him after that.

Nyra huffed and slowed her pace as she found herself nearing the edge of the forest that led out to a steep cliff. The wolf's ear twitched and she dug her claws into the gravel, not at all enthusiastic about being so close to falling to her death. Looking up, she could see the blood-red light of the rising sun pouring out over the ocean. The fur on the back of her neck rose slightly as she spotted the unreliable path that led down the crag where Carperwel's cavern was. For a moment, the wolf contemplated on just shouting down at the gryphon to meet her instead of risking her life attempting to get to him. With an agitated flick of her tail, Nyra began her dangerous descent down the rocks to reach the cave.

The wolf had met Carperwel when she was only five weeks old, barely starting to eat meat for the first time. The gryphon rarely ever visited the castle on his own, but he tended to be exceedingly wonderful at dropping in whenever things were completely calm. Nyra had been out in the castle garden with Lucy when Carperwel paid the young queen a visit. Out of all of the Kings and Queens, Carperwel seemed to enjoy being in Lucy's company- like most. Nyra recalled the strange creature wrapping himself around the trunk of a young apple tree and greeting the Queen. Lucy had happily approached Carperwel, welcoming him as an old friend, but Nyra remained behind the human, frightened of such a large animal.

"I see the rumors were true," Carperwel sniffed, "the Kings and Queens found themselves a pet." Lucy had chosen to ignore the snide comment and gently picked up Nyra, bringing her closer to the gryphon.

"Carperwel, this is Nyra." Lucy said with a bright smile, "Nyra, this is Carperwel, a good friend of mine."

The two Narnians studied each other closely, but neither moved. Even as a young pup, Nyra could sense the authority radiating off of the large beast, demanding respect. Of course, that didn't stop her.

"Where's your other eye?"

The absolute indignation that burned in Carperwel's golden eyes nearly knocked Nyra backwards.

"I tore it out," The gryphon snarled, shoving his massive face close to the pup's, "After I grew tired of dealing with insolent little pups like you."

Nyra shook her head in embarrassment of her immature actions as she pressed her body as close to the overhang as physically possible. She could already smell Carperwel's sharp, fishy stench on the rough wind that pushed her sturdy body back and forth on the rocks. Nyra adjusted her stance and pushed a large pebble to the side of the cliff, where it tumbled off into the water below. The entrance was only a few feet away, poorly concealed by jutting out craig.

Although she hadn't been alive in the Great Winter, Nyra had heard stories of how Carperwel had served as a double-agent for Aslan; working for the White Witch and obtaining information before the Kings and Queens had arrived in Narnia. Something about the gryphon's rugged look made him the perfect candid for invading enemy lines, and the wolf wasn't about to say different. Of course, he was retired now. Hence the isolation and indecent social skills.

"Carperwel," Nyra called out into the cave as she approached, "don't attack, it's me, Nyra of Cair Paravel."

"I know who you are," A voice responded from the darkness, "I could smell your stench as soon as you left the castle." Nyra's ear twitched in agitation as her muzzle touched the beginning of the black, but she continued on into the cavern warily.

"Then I suppose you know why I am here." She growled lightly, her pupils dilating so she could see where Caperwel was curled up in the back of the cave, his amber eye narrowed.

"I thought perhaps you had come to join me for breakfast." Carperwel snapped, his long tail swiping aside dirt and pebbles.

"Unfortunately, no." Nyra said, not bothering to sit down, "The High King requests your presence in council as soon as possible."

"More trouble with the Witch's minions, I presume." The gryphon snorted, stretching his body to fill the sides of his crypt.

"I am not at liberty to say." Nyra turned her head to look back at the illuminated parts of the cave, wishing that Carperwel would come into the light. There was a deep chuckle.

"You never are."

"I shall inform the Kings and Queens you are coming then." The wolf huffed, more than ready to leave, "Good morning." Nyra turned to exit the cave, but paused when rustling from the rear of the cave sounded.

"Oh, but it is such a long trip back." The gray wolf's fur fluffed out in panic as soon as she heard the smirk in his voice, "Why don't we inform them together?" It wasn't a suggestion, but Nyra didn't wait for him to tell her that.

The large wolf made a valiant scramble forward to the mouth of the cave, but the gryphon was swifter. Nyra yelped and kicked her legs out as Carperwel's claws latched around her body as though she were only a stick, lifting her off of the ground.

"No, Carperwel, please!" The wolf howled, twisting her body, "Please don't!" There was the loud swish of wings, and suddenly they were flying out of the cave and down towards the crashing waves of the ocean.

"I am truly sorry, lass, but I couldn't hear you!" The gryphon cackled, "What did you say?"

"I am perfectly capable of traveling on my own four paws!" Nyra shrieked indignantly, ceasing her struggles once they began to skim the water, fearful that the gryphon would merely drop her into the waves.

"Calm down, little wolf." Carperwel cawed in delight, "We are nearly there."

The wolf exhaled furiously, her amber eyes glowing darkly as they soared over the water. Quite honestly, it was more humiliating than frightening. Carperwel's grip on her was firm, but not painful against her tensed muscles. Nyra huffed as she turned her head to look over the ocean, ears flat against her head to muffle the ringing of the wind as they cut through the skies. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time the wolf had been forced into this type of transportation- Edmund never let her forget.

A small jolt of relief washed over Nyra as she spotted the Castle by the Sea, standing tall in all of her glory. Cair Paravel never ceased to amaze her- no matter what angle she arrived at. It seemed that no matter which way light hit the marble stone, it glimmered day and night as though it were the ocean itself. Not a vast castle, but there were still hundreds of rooms that were yet to be discovered. Cair Paravel was perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a beautiful beach and the never-ending ocean. Flags of red and gold sailed on the wind like birds, proudly displaying Aslan in all his greatness. On the gates surrounding the courtyard and the garden were five soldiers, tasked with protecting the castle. It wasn't much, but it was home.

"Hold on to your tail!" Carperwel called down to the wolf, who had finally relaxed at the sight of Cair Paravel. Nyra let out a low growl and flexed her muscles again, knowing full well that landing was far worse than taking off.

As the two figures drew closer to the castle, a horn resonated through the air. Nyra pulled her head back, bracing herself for impact as Carperwel dropped closer to the ground, circling around the castle once. The gryphon extended his wings to their full length and then pulled them back in closer to his body, flapping them two or three times to loose altitude. As they came closer to the earth, Nyra began to struggle again, knowing full well what Carperwel had planned, for he had done it before. The gryphon let out a single screech, before releasing the wolf from his grip.

Nyra grunted as she fell the few feet that were left back to the soil, her legs buckling momentarily as she regained her balance. The wolf huffed angrily and shook her pelt as she stumbled away from Carperwel's landing area. Out of the corner of her raging amber eyes she spotted King Edmund and Queen Lucy exiting the palace to greet their old friend. Throwing a nasty glare over her shoulder towards Carperwel, the wolf stalked off towards the kitchen area to get a well-earned breakfast, and to walk off her irritation.

Edmund smirked as he spotted his agent storming away from the gryphon towards the back door to the castle's kitchen. The dark king considered calling out to Nyra, but decided against it, leaving the clearly vexed wolf alone. Lucy lengthened her strides as Carperwel landed in the courtyard, a bright smile on her face.

"Carperwel," She said joyfully, "it is so wonderful to see you again!" The gryphon turned and bowed his head in greeting to the two royals.

"And the same to you, majesties." His tail curled up to touch the feathers that covered his back, "Although I wish it were on happier tidings." Edmund's eyes became grave almost instantly.

"I take it you've heard then."

"Of course." Carperwel said, "I have my sources." Edmund nodded and exchanged a look with his sister.

"Well, now that you've arrived, Peter's called for the convention to begin." The king said, turning to allow the gryphon to walk towards the main entrance of the castle. As soon as Carperwel passed him and accompanied Lucy, Edmund took a step onto the lawn towards the open door of the kitchen, where a faint hullabaloo could be heard.

"Nyra," He called, "are you coming?"

The ruckus in the kitchen crescendoed, and the sound of a metal pan hitting the wall echoed into the courtyard before Nyra emerged with a sullen look and a small piece of meat hanging out of her jaws. Edmund coughed to hide his amusement as the head cook could be heard yelling about impolite manners and impatient wolves. Nyra growled and swallowed her snack as she approached the King.

"As you were." Edmund chuckled, turning to follow Lucy and Carperwel. Nyra lashed her tail and fell into step beside him.

"As _you_ were." She grunted.

* * *

After finally managing to get the final member into the meeting chamber, Peter stood at the end of the table, overlooking those him and his siblings had chosen as council. There were the obvious ones whom they had never even had to think twice about; Orious, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and Carperwel. There were also two others; the Southern Cat Battalion and Mr. Fox, both of whom had proven their loyalty and intellect over the past few years. A place had been offered to the Pevensie's close friend, Mr. Tumnus, but the faun had politely declined, stating that his future did not rest in politics.

"First off," Peter paused, giving the hardly noisy room a chance to be silent, "I would like to thank all of you for coming on such short notice." The king caught Carperwel's eye and nodded graciously. "The conditions of which we meet are, unfortunately, not light."

Nyra settled herself between Edmund and Susan's chairs, keeping her head up and eyes on the far eastern wall. The wolf technically had no place in the council meetings, but Edmund granted her a pass to be by his side as long as she didn't disturb them or give away information that had been discussed. Nyra was specially permitted to be in the meeting at present, for she was the only other one beside Edmund that witnessed what had happened in the dwarfs' stronghold. Even though Nyra rested closer to Edmund, Susan let her hand fall down to her side to catch the wolf's attention. Nyra's eyes flicked over to the Queen, and she silently shuffled closer to her chair.

"Please don't tell me that my brother was up all night in the study again." Susan whispered, leaning over her chair and pressing the tips of her fingers into the fur around the wolf's neck. Nyra's ear twitched and she looked up at Susan, resting her muzzle on the arm of the chair for only a moment, with a slight nod of her head.

"We have evidence that the White Witch's followers are planning on retaliating once more." Peter continued, oblivious to his sister's displeasure. "After a previous interaction with one of the leaders of the dwarfs, we have reason to believe that there is need to strike them before they strike us."

"Is there any logic in offering peace?" Mrs. Beaver asked from her place between her husband and Battalion.

"We have already attempted that angle." Peter responded, turning to look at Edmund and Nyra. The king stared back at his older brother warily, before nodding and addressing the whole table.

"Their likely current leader, Ginnarbrik, has clearly stated that he wants nothing to do with Cair Paravel and treaties." Edmund said, his jaw clenching subconsciously as he forced himself not to look at his wolf guard.

"Likely?" Carperwel growled, finally looking up from his spot.

"So far, Ginnarbrik has been the only one to assert any dominance within the enemy lines." Peter said, one hand on Rhindon.

"Oh no, that pitiful dwarf wouldn't dare take up leadership." Carperwel spat, his amber eyes glazing over as he traveled into the farthest parts of his memory. "Jadis's people were followers and only followers- something has come along to take her place."

The Fox's large ears swiveled towards the gryphon, "Something?"

"What are you implying, Carperwel?" Orious finally spoke, "Is there something you have failed to tell us?" The gryphon narrowed his single eye, lashing his tail at the sudden turn.

"Failed? No," Carperwel hissed, "but after serving the Witch for so long, there is no single Narnian strong enough to replace her."

"Then what would have the power?" Lucy asked, running her index finger along the arm of her chair.

"I do not know." The room fell silent once more, and all eyes turned back to the High King, who remained standing.

"Until a time when we are certain of whom is their leader, we shall assume it is Ginnarbrik." Peter declared.

"May I suggest that we send a spy to obtain more information about them?" Orious inquired.

"That would be far too dangerous." Edmund spoke, turning to look at his brother and hoping he thought the same, "There are none they wouldn't suspect."

"Unless their kind served the Witch during the war..." Peter said quietly, almost to himself. Edmund's eyebrows tilted downward in confusion at his words.

"Sire?" The Fox said, just as baffled as the rest of the table. Peter finally broke his gaze from where it rested on the table, turning it towards Edmund. The dark king quickly followed his gaze, and suddenly he understood.

"No." Edmund deadpanned, "I will not allow it." Peter's eyes flashed angrily at Edmund's show of charge.

"Don't be so daft, Edmund." Peter said, "It was only an idea."

"One of which I will not approve!" Edmund shot back, his hands grasping the arms of his chair. It was then that Lucy caught on.

"Peter, no!" The youngest queen cried, ready to spring from her seat.

"Alright, the lot of you, calm down." Susan finally said, standing up and placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "There is no need for this." Her gaze locked onto Peter's, and she held him there for a moment before sitting down. "Peter, please, sit." The blonde king grasped his sword tighter, but slowly sat down.

"The wolves have been allies of Aslan for years now." Lucy said, "There is no way they will fall for a wolf- especially one whom they know has been raised by the Kings and Queens themselves- to just walk into their camp and gather knowledge." The wolf guard remained silent, her amber eyes glued to the floor.

"Like I said," Peter huffed, "it was only an idea."

"And we understand that." Susan said calmly, shooting a pointed look at her younger brother, who looked away.

"Perhaps there is another we could send?" Batallion said, shuffling his large, spotted paws.

"Yes," Mr. Beaver said, "There are plenty of loyal Narnians out there who are guarantied to be a right bit shady looking." Although he tried, Mr. Beaver couldn't help it when his gaze landed on Carperwel at the other end of the table. The gryphon snarled and looked away, resulting in a small smirk from the Fox.

"How long until you foresee a battle, my lord?" Orious asked.

"Only time will tell." Peter said, "It may be a week or it may be a year, but it is inevitable."

"As is death."

Almost at once, they didn't recognize the voice. Peter and Edmund jumped out of their chairs, swords drawn and eyes scanning the room. The wolf quickly bounded forward to stand next to Edmund, the fur along her neck rising as she searched for the scent of the intruders. The rest of the council shifted in unease as well; Battalion jumping over the table to stand in Nyra's abandoned place in front of the queens for their protection.

"Who are you?" Peter called, raising his sword, "I demand that you show yourself!"

"Nyra, where is it?" Edmund quietly asked, his eyes not leaving the shadows in the room.

"You mean they." The wolf corrected darkly, taking a step forward towards the shadows that fell over the balcony, "There are two of them."


	6. Strangers From the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- The counsel receives troubling information about activity north of the border from two strange creatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New characters introduced: The twin encantados, Zebulan and Vivian

The Pevensies didn't often pride themselves on the security of Cair Paravel. After all, it was a castle, but they also never just allowed random creatures to roam the halls unaccounted for- no, that would be ridiculous. Honestly, the only problem they had ever encountered before, was the time they'd discovered a family of porcupines living in the closet of one of the spare guest rooms. However, as they stood in one of the most private rooms of their home, staring at two figures they didn't at all recognize, they all couldn't help but wonder just how much work they had actually put into training their door guards.

"You are in the presence of the rulers of Narnia," Peter said darkly, raising Rhindon towards the shadows standing against the sun. "Tell us who you are or prepare to meet your doom."

The second figure- one that had yet not spoken- let out a low snicker.

"Now, now, there's no need to be melodramatic." Unlike the first voice to have spoken, this one was feminine.

"Say that to me again when you are rotting in the dungeon." Peter deadpanned, not moving.

"You're trespassing in the castle of Cair Paravel," Edmund picked up where his brother had truculently left off. "I don't suggest you play games."

The first figure stepped forward, down the steps that led into the meeting room, and into the light. From what Edmund could see; he took the appearance of a human, but that didn't always mean that's what their true form was. The sunlight reflected off of the man's fair hair, outlining his rather box-shaped face in a slight glow. He was assertive enough to make eye contact with everyone in the room, his grey eyes studying the body language of the council members.

Although it was early summer, he wore tight, heavy clothes. His tattered brown coat seemed to be made out of a crude type of leather, lined with mink fur. As Edmund let his gaze wander further, he noticed the buttons that pulled the coat together at the front were made of animal teeth. The only difference between the man's shoes and his own, he saw, was that the boots were bulky; meant to withstand much hiking and wear. The stranger's beard was scruffy, and his skin covered in dirt, an indication that he had been traveling far.

A single glance between Edmund and Nyra shared the knowledge they had absorbed from this outlander's appearance; he was from the wild lands in the north.

"Forgive us for the informal introductions." The man spoke. "They call me Zebulon, and this is my sister, Vivian."

As her name was spoken, the woman stepped forward, a suspicious glare plastered on her face. She was like her brother in many ways; with light hair and murky eyes, but she had an even darker presence about her. Something about the woman made the fur on the wolf guard's back stand on end. Edmund could feel Nyra's mistrust almost as easily as he could feel the smooth metal of his sword in his hand, and he wasn't about to disagree with her.

"We are from the lands of Noctis." Zebulon gave a small bow, his sister reluctantly following only a moment later.

"Northerners." Mr. Beaver whispered, mostly to himself.

"Well, that's wonderful and all, but what are you doing here?" Carperwel grunted from where he had remained seated at the table, as though nothing had happened.

"We aren't here to murder you all, if that's what you're asking." Vivian resorted, tilting her head ever so slightly and making eye contact with Peter. The woman openly let her stare roam down his body, the corner of her lip tilting upwards.

"Perhaps we should sit down and discuss our presence." Zebulon suggested as he caught sight of the High King tightening his grip of the sword, which was still aggressively pointed towards them.

"Or perhaps you could tell us now." Peter wasn't about to be told what to do- not now, not ever.

The silence in the room steadily grew alongside the tension. As the High King and the stranger held gazes, Nyra dared to take a few steps forward, angling her body towards where the light wind blew at her. Through the silence, the wolf inspected the two outsiders.

Something was undoubtedly wrong with them, but Nyra couldn't put her paw on it. Throughout her life, she'd met plenty of creatures from the north, and humans weren't any of them. The north was a land filled with dangerous, wild creatures that killed whenever they could. There was no way that these two humans were from Noctis- the darkest part of the north. Evil itself could not live there.

Finally, Edmund broke the silence.

"What are you?" He didn't lower his sword as he spoke the words, not believing for a moment that they were only what they appeared to be. Vivian smirked.

"Ah- now you're asking the real questions." As her smile grew, sharp fangs became visible behind her lips, poking out from her teeth.

"You have no name for our kind here, past the line of iniquity." Vivian purred, stalking forward to face the blade of Rhindon. "But back at home, they call us Encantado."

"They are demon shifters." Orious said, not comforted at all by the knowledge of the strangers' species.

"Oh don't be so racist." Vivian rolled her eyes and brought her hand up to run her finger along the blade as Peter clenched his jaw. "Not all of us can shift out of the form in daylight."

"Then you two must be very special indeed." Carperwel rumbled with an equal amount of sarcasm. The woman raised an eyebrow with a smug smile and let her hand drop from where it hovered above Rhindon.

"Well, you aren't wrong."

"Please, don't let our appearance govern your judgment on us." Zebulon quickly followed up with. "We wish only to hold council with you."

Susan quietly stood and laid her hand lightly upon Battalion's soft head as she passed him to reach her older brother. The queen wrapped her fingers around Peter's upper arm in an attempt to get him to lower his sword.

"Peter," Susan said quietly, "Maybe we should listen to them with open ears."

The High King was silent for a moment, his eyes moving between the strange siblings and his court members. Edmund and Nyra made no move, waiting for Peter to decide on what to do. Through the silence, Lucy made eye contact with the strange man, Zebulon. His gray eyes held no emotion, arising uneasy feelings within the young queen. Not even the smallest of smiles he sent her way could wipe away the discomfort.

Finally, Peter lowered his sword.

"Speak fast." The High King said.

Edmund let out a small breath, but not one of relief, as he lowered his own sword. Beside him, the wolf ran her claws along the stone floor in unease. Vivian sighed and turned around to make her way back to the stairs they had descended, sitting on the second lowest brick and allowing her brother to speak for the both of them. Zebulon pressed his lips together and nodded, clasping his hands in front of his body.

"As I mentioned before, my sister and I are from Noctis- we were born there." Zebulon started, "In the darkness, we raised ourselves, and we have lived like that for many decades. That is, until our land was invaded." At this, Carperwel looked up.

"Invaded?" The gryphon hissed. "Who in their right minds would _want_ to claim such a place?"

"A new kind of devilry." The woman said gravely, leaning back on the stairs and resting her elbows on the stone.

"Something far more powerful than the likes of which we have ever seen." Zebulon continued, "It descended upon us like an ungodly flood-

"It?" Susan interrupted.

"We did not see its face." Zebulon said, "With black tentacles it came and destroyed all that was already demolished. Vivian and I were forced to flee from the darkness, our home."

"How exactly does this concern us?" Peter asked, not at all moved.

"I do believe that you'll want to hear the rest of the story." Vivian chuckled.

"Before we left," Zebulon said, "strange creatures followed the devil into the forest." He paused and looked at Edmund. "I take it you remember the White Witch's servants." Several sharp inhalations were audible in the room.

"The Witch's followers have taken over your land?" Edmund tried his best to keep his teeth from clenching together.

"Not just ours." said Zebulon, "And considering the information you have been discussing at this here meeting, I would be exceedingly concerned."

"How can we be sure that you both aren't her followers as well?" Peter asked, tightening his grip on Rhindon.

"You can't." Vivian responded with a dark smirk.

"Their kind have no masters." Orious said brusquely. "They live only to serve themselves."

"You make us sound so vain," Vivian dramatically glared at the centaur. "Although, he has a point, don't you think, dear brother?"

"Trust us not, if that is what you wish." Zebulon said, desperately trying to figure out how to sew his sister's mouth shut. "But the words we speak are the truth."

"Give us time to discuss this new knowledge." Lucy said from behind Orious. Her siblings nodded, and Peter motioned for Nyra to escort the strangers from the north to a waiting room.

"I'm sure you are both weary from your travels." Peter said, finally sheathing his sword. "I will have someone bring you food and water."

As Nyra passed Edmund to stand in front of the Encantados, the king barely hovered his fingers over her back- a silent warning for her to be careful. The wolf flicked an ear and lightly wrapped the tip of her tail around his left ankle in acknowledgment.

"Nyra will guide you to temporary arrangements." Edmund said, following his brother's example and putting away his sword.

Zebulon motioned for his sister to stand up as the wolf guard approached them.

"Follow me." Nyra said rather tensely, before leading Vivian and Zebulon past the table main table and towards the door.

The guards opened the doors without a word and Nyra looked back to make sure the Encantados were behind her. She wasn't all too enthusiastic about the two walking behind her, and she slowed down her pace slightly so that she walked next to the male. The wolf traveled down the main passages, doing her best to keep away from any important rooms or staircases that she didn't want the strangers to gain knowledge of- especially the royal quarters.

"So, whose guard are you?" Vivian asked as they walked. Zebulon's jaw jutted out to the side and he cast an exasperated look towards his sister. The fur on Nyra's neck bristled slightly at the question, but she quickly flattened them.

"Your question implies that I am a body guard." The wolf huffed, avoiding the answer- which she wasn't prepared to release to the strangers.

"Are you not?"

Nyra's eyes narrowed as she contemplated telling the truth.

"I am." She bit out tensely.

"Then whom do you protect?" The wolf came to an abrupt stop and stared up at the female, her amber eyes flaming in unease.

"All of them." Nyra rumbled, holding the Encantado's gaze. The woman raised an eyebrow and jutted her jaw out slightly. Her gray eyes narrowed, a sliver of amber peeking out from behind the darker color, threatening to show their true form. The fur on the back of Nyra's neck instinctively rose slightly again, but this time she wasn't as polite about it. The wolf allowed her hostility to show, and dug her claws as far into the brick flooring as her pain tolerance would allow.

"We have arrived."

Nyra led the siblings into a small, enclosed room. The cold, stone bricks offered no warmth, nor did the dull colors of the simple furniture. There were no windows and only one door. Located on the lowest level of Cair Paravel and at the farthest corner of the western wing, the room only had one purpose; to hold deceitful creatures. Many inhabitants in the castle considered the room to be as close as the dungeon that they would ever be placed in.

"Cozy," Vivian mumbled, walking around the room casually as though the uncomfortable moment of tension had never occurred. "Although, it's a bit chilly."

"I'll have someone bring you a blanket." Nyra said dryly, before turning to exit the dreary room.

"Vi," Zebulon said, plopping down on a small stool. "Shut up."

Nyra met the two guards Peter had sent to watch the strangers just outside of the doorway. The entrance remained wide open, so they could constantly supervise the two until the Kings and Queens decided what would be done with them.

"Keep a close eye on them." The wolf ordered as she passed, "They aren't to be trusted."

Meanwhile, back in the Meeting Hall, things had finally simmered down. After thoroughly searching the room for any other unexpected visitors, the council sat down to discuss their newest additions to Cair Paravel. Peter sat erect in his chair, one hand on Rhindon, in full alert. It would be an understatement to say that he was embarrassed at the lack of security in the castle- especially when there was a classified conference in progress. Nevertheless, he was determined that it would not happen again.

"Carperwel, what can you tell us about these strangers?" Peter asked. The gryphon let out a low rumble, searching his aging memory for information on the archaic creatures.

"They did not originate from this world." Carperwel said slowly, as though he was translating a story from another language.

"Then how did they come to be here?" Lucy asked, her facial features scrunching up as she tried to remember some distant life.

"The same way humans did," He said, "magic."

"Then Aslan didn't create them?" Susan spoke, running her fingers together underneath the table.

"Not all things are created on purpose."

"Where do they come from?" Edmund asked, keeping one eye on the door for the return of his guard.

"Even I do not know everything." Carperwel said, his voice becoming agitated from all of the questions.

"Can we trust them?" Peter asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

"Of course not!" The gryphon snapped, "But their foremost purpose here is not to destroy us, that much I can tell."

"They speak the truth then." The High King's eyes narrowed at their most trusted ally's jumping of positions.

"I would not be so quick to assume it is the whole truth." Orious said.

"They are born of darkness and deceit." Carperwel huffed, "They claim to be Encantados, but they are nothing of what I recall- some far off cousin of the creature. Encantados are form-shifters; from reptile to human, but only in the night. Never have I seen one in its human form in the bright of day."

"What is suggested that we do then?" Peter asked, finally addressing the entire table. Many of the members exchanged wary looks, unsure of the best decision.

"No path leads to the light." Orious murmured.

"Must we decide now?" Lucy finally offered, "Let us eat dinner and give ourselves time to think." Everyone at the table nodded in agreement, looking outside to find the sun making its way past the top of the hemisphere.

"Do not contemplate long, though." Carperwel advised. "I get the feeling that our guests will not be idle for long."


	7. Initium I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past timeline (Year 1005)- Edmund and Phillip return to Cair Paravel with the wolf pup.

Spring 1005

Edmund was able to carry the tiny pup in one, steady hand as they made their way back to the castle of Cair Paravel. He had told Philip to tread lightly, but the talking horse needed no orders once he saw him approaching with the small bundle in his hands. The king kept his left hand firmly on the reins, and gently cradled the newborn against his chest. It was a strange thing; a mother giving up her child. Rarely did it happen- usually only in dire circumstances. The only thing that the young king could think of was if the pup had been in danger. The shadow of threat caused Edmund to turn his head and stare back in the direction of which he had found the wolf, checking to make sure that they weren’t being followed. The bright forest held no sign of peril, and Edmund tilted his head to look down at the small creature once more.

_“It is curious,”_ Edmund thought, _“that this infant would be sent away from its own kind.”_

While at the same time, another part of his mind thought, _“Perhaps it is a bastard pup.”_ Could wolves truly betray their own kind? No matter the cause, it was still a strange situation. Yet somehow, Edmund felt as though he understood the wolf’s choice in giving him her pup. She seemed as though she feared for the young one’s life, and the young king was more than willing to protect this blessing. In all honesty, Cair Paravel was one of the safest places in these lands. Any Narnian would be desperate for a position within her marble walls.

Perhaps war was the reason for this pup’s exile. No, Edmund was sure that he would have heard of inner turmoil by now. Still, the king made a note to himself to send out scouts for any sign of tribulations in Narnia- other than the occasional appearance of one of the Witch’s followers. That too seemed to be a possibility. Could it be that the mother was still a part of a rebellious group, and wished a different path for her offspring?

Edmund dipped his chin to look at the sleeping whelp in his right arm. He ran his finger gently down the velvety fur on the top of her head, slipping it just behind her ear and resting it there. The pup made a soft grunting noise, digging her tiny face into Edmund’s tunic as she continued to sleep. A tender smile crawled across the king’s lips, and he repeated the stroking.

“My Lord,” Phillip said, drawing Edmund’s attention. “We are nearly at Cair Paravel.” The boy nodded and tightened his left-handed grip on the reins.

“Thank you, Phillip.”

“May I be so bold as to inquire what you plan on doing with the pup?” The horse asked after a moment of silence. Edmund inhaled deeply and fixed his gaze on the top of the saddle in thought.

“I haven’t the slightest clue.” The King finally admitted. “Feed her, raise her, teach her…” His steed let out an amused snort.

“Am I to assume that you are now the whelp’s foster mother?” Edmund narrowed his eyes, but smiled at the talking horse’s teasing.

“So what if I am?” He said, wrinkling his nose.

“I do believe Queen Susan will have something to say.” Phillip nickered.

“She always does.” Edmund grumbled, rolling his eyes. “I suppose you think I should have refused?”

“Believe me, as flexible as I am when it comes to young ones,” Edmund smirked. “I would not be so quick to trust a wolf’s intentions as good.”

“The wolves pledged their allegiance to us.” Edmund said, “What reason is there not to put our faith in them?”

“Well, they served as the Witch’s secret police for one.” Phillip said, flicking his tail to chase away the flies around his legs. Edmund’s jaw clenched and he adjusted his grip on the reins, allowing the horse more freedom.

“That was years ago, Phillip.” The king stood up slightly in the saddle, stretching his legs and then settling back down. “As hard as it may be, we must move away from our mistrust of a species in general for the greater good of the country.” It was odd, repeating the words that Peter had used at their meeting only days ago. Phillip flicked his ear in approval.

“Well said, my king.”

The pathway that led to the main gates of Cair Paravel came into view and Edmund cleared his throat, running his finger down the pup’s neck again. The soft rustling of the grass beneath the talking horse’s hooves turned to a light patter on the cobblestone. Against his chest, Edmund felt the pup stir and he looked down, tucking her closer to the heat of his body.

“Open the gates!” The faint cry of the tower guard echoed through the air, and a few seconds later the metal gate groaned as it was lifted.

Edmund nodded politely to the guard before he passed under the gate, smirking at the panther’s curious stare directed towards the small bundle of fur he had cradled against his chest. Phillip turned down the smaller dirt path in the courtyard, making his way down to the stable area where they kept the dumb horses. The sooner he got the gear off of his body, the talking horse thought, the better. Without speaking, he had assumed that Edmund would want the fastest course to the kitchen area. Phillip stopped just next to the back door, letting out a small snort.

“Thank you, Phillip.” Edmund said, pulling his left boot out of the stirrup and swigging it over the horse’s back to hover in midair. With his free hand, Edmund kept his balance by holding on to the edge of the saddle, slowly lowering his left leg onto the ground, and bending his right leg awkwardly towards his chest. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he slipped his other boot out of the stirrup and stood triumphantly with the pup in his arm, undisturbed.

The king walked around Phillip and pushed open the wooden door to the kitchen. One of the younger cooks, a nymph of an ash tree, looked up from where she was crushing grain. Her auburn hair was tied back into a tight bun to keep from getting in the way of cooking, and Edmund smiled at the girl as he closed the back door.

“My Lord.” The nymph said in greeting as she turned from the counter she was crushing the grain on.

“Good afternoon.” Edmund said, walking towards her. “Forgive my intrusion, but would you happen to know where Mrs. Beaver is at?”

“You were not interrupting anything, sire.” The girl said with a bright smile, “I believe that I last saw Mrs. Beaver tending the garden, she should be back soon if you wouldn’t mind waiting.” Edmund nodded.

“Very well,” He looked down at the pup that was still resting in his arms. “You wouldn’t happen to know what to feed a newborn pup, would you?” The nymph set down the stone she had been using and wiped her hands on her apron, swiftly striding over to where the king was standing, her adoring eyes fixed on the bundle of fur. She ran a light hand over the pup’s soft fur and softly smiled.

“It is to my knowledge that a mother’s milk is the best nutrition for one so young.” The nymph said, looking up at Edmund. “May I ask how you came into possession of this pup?”

“Her mother stopped me in the woods when I was on my afternoon patrol.” Edmund murmured, bringing up his opposite hand to run it along the fur of the whelp. “She gave me her pup- I have yet to figure out why.”

“She ran off before you could ask?” It was more of a guess than a question. Edmund nodded and inhaled deeply. He’d always enjoyed the smell of the kitchen.

“There are plenty of females who have recently given birth to young.” The nymph said, “If you wish, I could find one who would be willing to nurse this pup.”

“Could you?” Edmund asked, overjoyed that this girl was eager to help him. “That would be wonderful!” The nymph smiled and shuffled around a table towards the door to the storage room.

“Of course, until then I think that perhaps some warm milk will be acceptable for the pup to drink.”

Edmund followed the nymph into the storage room and watched as she opened the doors to the cellar, emerging only seconds later with a ceramic jug. As he watched her pour a small amount of milk into a pan to heat over the fire, Edmund couldn’t help but marvel at how casually the nymph was handling the situation. Honestly, Edmund was internally panicking. He didn’t know what to do with a _wolf pup_ \- he was still learning to take care of _himself_. How was he supposed to assist with the care of another’s life when it was so young? The king looked down at the pup in his arms with a small sigh. Well, perhaps this was Aslan’s doing. Perhaps the Great Lion wanted him to learn how to handle the life of another’s from its beginning before he was expected to handle the life of thousands in a spectrum of age. Yet still, Edmund couldn’t help but stare at the young tree spirit.

“Is abandonment common here in Narnia?” He felt silly asking a question about his own country, but figured that if anyone knew Narnia the best, it was the trees. The nymph didn’t look up from the fire.

“Not as common as you would think.” She said with a breathy tone, almost as though she was distracted. “But orphans do turn up now and then.”

Orphan. Was that what this pup was now?

“How many do you know?” Edmund asked. The nymph paused, still holding the pan over the fire.

“Just one.”

Her voice was distant, well coated over with a trace of caution. After a few moments, Edmund realized that the nymph wasn’t exactly fond of whomever she spoke of. A streak of panic and curiosity shot through the king’s mind like a lightning bolt. Was this creature well known amongst the Narnians? If he or she was, Edmund was sure that he would know who it was. Were they a loose-cannon who didn’t spend much time within the society? If so, would this pup grow up to be just like them?

“Who?”

“You know him.” The nymph said, “He’s not exactly what I would call social.” She pulled the pan out of the flames and blew on the steaming milk to cool it down. “The milk is done if you want to feed her.”

Edmund nodded, realizing that the girl would give no further indication of whom they were talking about. She smiled and picked up a leather pouch that had previously been used as a water canister for the patrols. They had since made far better quality pouches, and the older ones had been sent to the kitchen for storage and alternate use. The nymph carefully poured the warm milk into the pouch and cut off a small piece at the bottom left corner of the pouch to allow a few drops of the liquid to squeeze through. In his arms, the pup finally stirred, as though she knew that she was about to be fed.

“It’s easier if you sit with your back against the cabinet and place the pup on your lap.” The nymph said, leading Edmund out into the main part of the kitchen.

He nodded and carefully lowered himself onto the ground, the pup wriggling in his arms with soft grunts. As soon as he had himself settled against the cabinets, the nymph leaned down and showed Edmund how to hold the pouch, just a little bit over the pup’s head. The king tentatively took the leather and pressed it against the pup’s nose, placing a small drop of milk there. She sneezed and licked the milk off of her nose with her bright pink tongue and Edmund’s eyes widened. Did he do something wrong?

“I’ll see if I can find Mrs. Beaver.” The nymph said with a smile, before walking out of the room.

Edmund opened his mouth, ready to call out to the girl and ask for help, but paused as, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the pup running her tongue along the open cut in the bag. He was doing it- he was _actually_ doing it; feeding a wolf pup. Edmund smiled proudly as the pup steadily began to suckle the milk that he was holding over her head, running his opposite hand over her fur as he balanced her in his lap. The king opened his mouth, but paused, looking around the kitchen to make sure it was empty first.

“You’re a curious little thing, aren’t you?” He murmured down to the pup. “Very cute though.” The pup let out a small snort as she drank the milk, almost as though she had heard him. “I wonder why anyone would ever want to give you up.”

There was a cool breeze that blew through the open window, bringing in the fresh scent of the sea. Edmund hadn’t particularly loved the ocean when they had first come to Cair Paravel; it was too unpredictable, changing. One day the water could be as calm as the trees, and the next day it could be raging like a wildfire. He did, however, grow to love it. The Pevensies had boarded one of Narnia’s most magnificent vessels, _Thralida_ , and spent a whole day sailing down the coast, exploring the outer reaches of their new land. Edmund loved the feel of the cool breeze running past his ears, the swishing of the waves as it passed beneath the ship and especially the fire that ignited on the water when the sun went down. The ocean was just as much his home as Cair Paravel was.

“I’ve never had anyone to take care of before.” Edmund admitted quietly to the pup. “Peter, my older brother, has always taken care of everyone. Susan takes care of us too, when Pete can’t think straight- which happens to be a lot of the time. Lucy seems as though she just plays around all the time, but she’s the real reason we get anything done. She’s always giving out ideas. I think you’d like her.”

Edmund’s plan of attack on introducing Nyra went like so: have Lucy fall in love with her, have Susan fall in love with her, and finally have those two convince Peter to fall in love with her. It was a foolproof plan.

“I wonder if you had any siblings of your own.” He continued on, “What do you suppose happened to them? I do hope they aren’t dead. Then again, you may have been the only one in your litter. I would never tell my siblings this, but I think it would be a sad thing to grow up without brothers and sisters.” Edmund leaned his head back against the cabinets, slowly feeling his mind open to speaking to this pup. “Awful lonely…”

“I’ll have to take you to the beach some day.” Edmund said, changing the topic to one more positive. “I get the feeling that you would like exploring the sand. The beach we have here just outside of the castle walls is rather beautiful. The sand is white as far as one can see; much like Cair Paravel’s outer walls. Sometimes, trinkets of the sea wash up along with the waves. Lucy and I have found hundreds of shells and seaweed. The head hook tells us that seaweed is edible, but I wouldn’t eat that stuff if you tortured me.”

“Edmund?”

The king’s head snapped forward as he heard someone approaching the closed door. After a few moments, he recognized the voice as Mrs. Beaver’s. The boy adjusted himself to sit taller and readjusted his grasp on the pouch as the door swung open, Mrs. Beaver hurrying in with the nymph only a few steps behind her. Mrs. Beaver quickly made her way to where Edmund was sitting and stood by his side, looking over the pup.

“So this is the wolf pup you found?” She asked, running her claws along her chin in thought.

“I didn’t find her.” Edmund corrected Mrs. Beaver. “Her mother gave her to me in the woods.”

“Hmm… Awful strange scenario, don’t you think, Clytie?” Mrs. Beaver said, turning to look at the nymph who had summoned her. The girl smiled and nodded, heading back towards the counter to where she had been previously cooking. “She can’t be more than a few days old!”

Edmund looked down at the pup and noted that she was suckling slower now.

“Why don’t you take her up to your room and make sure that she stays both warm and in the dark.” Mrs. Beaver ordered, turning to open the cabinets for something. Edmund nodded and slowly stood, carefully scooping the pup back into his arms and taking away the pouch. The pup let out a cry, craning her neck around in search of the milk.

“Shhh…” Edmund cooed, running his fingers over her chest lightly.

“Well, go on; let’s not wait for the grass to grow, darling!” Edmund chuckled and finally started moving out of the kitchen as Mrs. Beaver pushed the back of his legs. “And don’t forget that dinner is at seven sharp.”

“That’s another thing, Mrs. Beaver.” Edmund said, turning around and still slowly making his way towards the door as he spoke to the beaver. “Suppose you could just have someone bring my dinner to my room tonight- so I can keep watch over Nyra?” It was funny that he asked such favors when he was the king, but Mrs. Beaver was nearly like a mother to the Pevensies. She scowled and placed her hands on her hips, disapproving of Edmund’s request.

“Just this once, Edmund.” Mrs. Beaver said, “And only because of that there pup, don’t expect this to happen any other night.” Edmund’s brown eyes gleamed in triumph. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy having meals with his siblings, he just enjoyed solitude. “I’ll inform the others, so expect visits from them soon.”

The King smiled, “Thank you very much.”

“Now off you go!”


	8. They Call It Deceiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- The counsel must come to an agreement on if they trust the encantados or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New minor characters introduced: Klex the Messenger & Honza the Scout

The wolf guard let out a frustrated huff and lashed her long tail to the side as she made her way down the hall, away from the guest room. The fur on the end of her tail brushed against the wall, stirring dust that had settled upon the cool stone, but the wolf paid no attention to the small particles. Those  things they dared to call guests in  Cair Paravel were putting her on edge. Every hair on her lean body was screaming not to trust them- to return and throw them in the dungeon where they belonged, but she was forced to ignore the urge… for now. She wouldn’t be doing her job if she completely trusted her superior’s judgment. Nyra was well aware that all of the guards would be on high alert; watching the Encantados every moment they were in the castle, but that didn’t seem to comfort her in the slightest. She felt as though they could see right through and into her thoughts, predicting every move she was about to make. They weren’t natural. 

“Nyra,” The wolf paused as she heard her name shouted from further down the corridor. Only seconds later came the quiet scurrying of paws over the stone floor, and the soft swish of a tail as it traveled behind the creature. The strong scent of pine filled her mouth and Nyra turned around to acknowledge the squirrel.

“What is it,  Klex ?” She didn’t usually sound so snappy when she talked to others, but the tension in her muscles was uncontrollable. The messenger came to an abrupt halt in front of the large wolf, unfazed by her tone. 

“Kind Edmund has requested that you come to the greenhouse as soon as possible.”  Klex said, tapping his paws together. He must have other business to attend to.

“Very well, thank you.”

Without another word, Nyra maneuvered herself around the squirrel and headed down the passageway that led out to the main hallway where the front door was located. It would be quicker to go through the courtyard to reach the garden from her current position. As soon as she turned into the main hallway, Nyra broke into a light run. The slight clicking of her thick nails against the stone was the only sound as she pushed to keep up her momentum. It was sometime after six in the afternoon now, meaning the guards hadn’t yet closed the gates. Nyra wondered if that was how their resident Encantados had entered the castle. 

She didn’t bother nodding in greeting to the guards at the door as she  sprinted past them- she would be talking to them later about security issues no doubt. As soon as her pads hit the soft grass Nyra let out a small breath. It was always a relief to be outside and away from the confining walls of the castle. As beautiful and bright as  Cair Paravel was, it just wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the freedom of the woods.

“You took your time.” Edmund teased as he spotted Nyra leaping over the broken wall, just barely landing in front of the fallen bricks on the ground. The wolf snorted and flicked her ear to cover up her shortness of breath as she slid over to where the young king was sitting beside their boulder. 

“I thought I’d have time for a nap.” Nyra responded dryly. “Now give it to me.” She said, referring to the slab of raw meat resting at Edmund’s side. 

The boy chuckled and handed over the morsel. It wasn’t much, but he hoped it would hold his friend over until they had time for a decent meal. Actually, Edmund was trying to think back to when he’d actually seen the wolf eat as much as her kind was known to. His brown eyes slid over the wolf’s massive form. There was no way she could keep that size and health with only what he’d been feeding her. It was then he decided that he honestly didn’t know what Nyra did in her free time.

“Impeccable manners, Nyra, one would almost think that you were talking to a king.”

“Yeah, one might also think that a hard working wolf would get a night off.”

“Danger never sleeps.”

“Save it for the princesses, High King Peter.” 

Edmund chuckled into the piece of bread he was taking a bite out of. Just when he thought he might be growing tired of the wolf’s presence- much like he did with his siblings- she would remind him of why he could actually stand her. Perhaps it was because he’d raised her so much like himself. That was another weird thing , Edmund thought; that she was older than him, yet he’d been taking care of her since she was born. By the time Edmund would be a young adult, Nyra would be an old wolf.  In fact, one night, Edmund had been lying in bed thinking about that exact thing when he came to a tragic realization; Nyra would die before him. He’d had trouble sleeping the rest of that particular night, and the next day, he didn’t let the wolf out of his sight. 

The two sat in comfortable silence as they gnawed on their snacks, staring ahead of them into the dense brush that was beginning to cover the walls surrounding the garden. Susan had wanted to remodel the garden, but Edmund strongly opposed, insisting that the primitive plot was far more appealing. The king sighed. They would be returning to the meeting room soon- something neither of them were looking forward to. The un expected arrival of  Zebulan and Vivian had put the entire castle in a haze of uncertainty and panic. It wasn’t often that they got visitors from the north.

“What do you think of them?” Edmund finally asked, pinching the bread between his fingers. Nyra didn’t look up from her meal, and, for a moment, he thought that she might be purposely ignoring him.

“They’re hiding something.” She finally growled, tucking her tail closer to her body and fluffing her fur up against an imaginary breeze. “If we aren’t careful, they are going to use us.”

“Aren’t they already doing that?” Edmund sighed, not happy with their presence either. Nyra grunted and Edmund ran his thumb over the hilt of his sword. “Do you believe them?”

The wolf stopped eating and stared down at the grass, her body turning to stone for several moments as her thoughts spun in circles, searching for an answer. 

“Yes.” She said slowly. “But it does not mean that I trust them.” Edmund nodded in agreement.

“I couldn’t have said it any better.”

They fell back into silence for a while, both finished with their food and neither wanting to return to the meeting room. Edmund tilted his head back and rested on the boulder, staring up at the slowly darkening sky. At this time of day, only a few stars were visible.

“Were we right to investigate further north?” Nyra turned her head to look at Edmund as he spoke. His face was carefully blank as he stared upwards,  replaying the events of the tunnels in his head. As hard as he tried, all Edmund could see was  Jadis’s stony face staring back at him through the darkness. To have her gone from his future, he would give anything. 

“Yes.” Nyra’s voice was strong , and pulled Edmund back from the tunnels. “You could not have made a better decision. ” 

Edmund was silent, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue.  Yes, I could have.

“I regret nothing, and so should you.” Nyra said. “ …  However, you would have made a far better ranger than king.” Edmund’s head snapped up at her offhand comment, successfully distracted. 

“Is that supposed to be some sort of insult?” Edmund’s brows pointed down, mouth slightly ajar and ego stung as he stared down as his friend. Nyra blinked in amusement, somewhat pleased with herself.

“You’re far too easy of a target.” She chuckled. The tips of Edmund’s ears began to turn read and he narrowed his eyes.

“Bug off.” He  said indignantly, giving the wolf a well-natured shove.

* * *

 The meeting commenced at 7:14 in the afternoon, about an hour after they had taken a break.  Peter sat with his upper back resting against the end of the chair, elbow on the arm and hand cupping his chin in thought.  If there was one thing he hated more than letting someone else take control, it was trying to pick up where meetings left off. Meetings on topics such as war and  Jadis’s remaining followers were even worse, because no one ever saw fit to fill the tense silence that fell  after every concluding sentence. Not even Mr. or Mrs. Beaver, sitting at the far end of the table, offered a comment. From every end, council members either chose to stare down at their laps or try for a telepathic conversation with the creature sitting across from them. Even High King Peter was at loss for words. Their previous argument had been so strangely redirected at the unexpected arrival of Vivian and  Zebulan that they didn’t even know where to begin.

“Fine,”  Carperwel groaned, resisting the urge to run his talons down the mahogany wood that was the table. “ I might as well be the one to say it;  Cair Paravel is in desperate need of new sentinels.”

Several annoyed eyes and a select few amused snorts found their way to the griffin as he spoke. As much as some may have disliked the creature’s dry humor, it was enough to get the ball rolling again. Pet er inhaled deeply and sat up, wrapping his fingers around the arm of his chair to keep them from running through his growing locks in frustration. 

“Alright, first things first,” Susan said, turning to meet her older brother’s stare. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do about  Zebulan and Vivian.”

“Well,  ain’t it obvious- we can’t trust them.” Mr. Beaver quickly jumped in, relieved to finally be speaking once again. 

“We cannot be so quick as to jump to conclusions.”  Orious said. 

“We also can’t risk having them stay here in the castle.” Mrs. Beaver said, agreeing with her husband. 

“I agree.” Lucy said, “But where else could they  go where we could keep watch over them?”

“I do not know much about Encantados,”  Batallion growled, “ But I do know that their presence is a rare and dangerous thing.”

“Trusting them, then, is out of the question.” Peter said, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table. 

“In that case,” said  Carperwel , “it is our duty to decide whether or not to believe them.” Several unhappy grunts and nods of agreement made their way around the table. 

“Alright then,” Peter said, “those who believe what  Zebulan and Vivian have told us, say ‘I’ .”

There was a moment of silence, before a strong voice spoke out.

“I.”  Carperwel said. 

Mr. Fox followed up shortly after, “I.”

“I.” Peter shot Susan a surprised look, but didn’t say anything.

Edmund swallowed and exchanged a glance with Nyra, who nodded her head encouragingly. “I.” He said with slight reluctance. 

“I.”  Orious also said from across the table. A hush fell over the table, and the council members turned their eyes to their High King. Peter swallowed and leaned back in his chair.

“That makes five.” He murmured, almost to himself. It was a tie, split evenly between the ten council members. Peter bit the side of his cheek. It almost figured that this would happen. 

“Perhaps we should send a scout to the Northern Lands.” Lucy suggested.

“She is right.”  Orious agreed, “Factual evidence is far more valuable than the word of our guests as of the moment.” Peter nodded. 

“Nyra,” The wolf stood and walked over to the High King’s side. “Fetch  Honza."  Nyra nodded and left the room.

“Let me remind you all,” Susan said, “that while it is almost certain that we don’t trust these two, their story may be true.” 

“Yes, we have to be prepared to plan for the worst- the truth.” Edmund followed up. 

“Do you think it is possible that the Witch’s followers are taking over the dark lands?” Mr. Fox attempted to hide his discomfort at the thought by wrapping his bushy tail over his paws. 

“They are growing their forces.”  Carperwel hissed, “Without a leader, they have no bounds.”

“It would make sense, wouldn’t it?” Lucy said quietly. As much as she didn’t want to believe a word  Zebulan and Vivian had said, everything lined up; the raids on innocent establishments, the black dwarves in the mountains, the growing sense of insecurity… 

“There’s no way to know for sure yet.” Peter reassured his youngest sister , running his thumb over the hilt of  Rhindon . 

“My Lord,” Nyra said, pushing her way through the main door, a Prairie Falcon flapping in close behind her. “ Honza , as you requested. ” Peter nodded and stood up to greet the scout of  Cair Paravel .

“Thank you, Nyra.” The wolf  nodded and made her way back over to where Edmund was 

sitting.  Honza glided over to the meeting table and landed on the side closest to the High King, dipping his head respectfully. 

“How may I be of assistance?”

“Your quest is a dangerous one.” Peter said, sitting back down to  speak with the falcon. “We need you to travel to the  n orth, more specifically  Noctis .”  Honza shifted nervously. 

“The dark lands?” His dark eyes didn’t once leave his superior. 

“I know it is much to ask.” Peter said, “But it is vital that you report back to us the activity of  Noctis .”

“May I ask why, Sire?” 

Peter’s eyes flickered around the meeting table. Every member met him with a neutral stare, waiting for him to make the executive decision. The high king took a deep breath and leaned forward, placing his hands on the arms of his chair.

“We believe that the Witch’s followers may be invading the Northern Lands to grow their forces.”  Honza took a step back, unable to keep his feathers from fluffing out from the news.

The falcon nodded in determination. “I  will not fail.”

“ Aslan be with you.” Edmund said , and with that,  Honza spread his magnificent wings and flew out of the balcony towards the north.


	9. A Sinister Milieu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Current timeline- More information is revealed about the encantados.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New minor characters introduced: Kai, Tallis, and Pavel the Scouts

It was early the next morning that Edmund found himself making his way through the halls towards the library. Many of the servants were still slumbering, or just awakening to begin their early duties. The sun hadn’t even arisen to greet the land yet. Light dew settled on the grass in the courtyard, weighing down the weak blades until they touched each other. The temperature was starting to dip down low every night, slowly rising again every afternoon. Summer was coming to an end quickly, but it had been a long and prosperous one.  The apple trees along the  outer  walls of the castle were heavy with fruit, more than ready to be harvested.  Narnia wasn’t an agricultural country, but they had a variety of farmers that provided for  Cair Paravel . 

Edmund paused as he came to the end of the hall, facing a right or left turn. It was almost amusing; they had lived in  Cair Paravel for over seven years now, and he still needed a map. Edmund scowled and finally decided on turning left. No matter how much he explored the castle, there were still parts that were unknown to him.  Only a week ago the king had stumbled across what looked to be a hidden bedroom near the dining room between a marble pillar and a potted fern. The doorway led down a flight of stairs into a circular shaped room with a rather marvelous painting of the dancing lawn across the ceiling. There wasn’t very much furniture in the room; a desk, sitting chair, and long sofa. Nevertheless, it was a quaint treasure within the castle’s walls. 

A triumphant smile split across Edmund’s lips as he spotted the grand, wooden doors to the library on the opposite end of the hall.  He could always trust his inner  compass to get him where he wanted to be. The king looked out the windows as he passed them, spotting the smallest rays of light beginning to peak out from over the sea. As he reached the large entrance, Edmund pressed his palms against the door, and attempted to quietly push the slab of wood open. He didn’t want to wake anyone up that slept in the rooms down this particular stretch of hallway.

Edmund didn’t even bother opening the door the entire way, slipping through the small crack he’d pushed. Hands still on the door, Edmund turned and shut it, waiting until he heard the click of the lock falling back in place. 

“Morning, Edmund.” 

He turned at the sound of his sister’s voice and frowned. 

“Lucy, what are you doing up this early?” 

“We could ask you the same thing.” Nyra grunted as she appeared from a long section of non-fiction novels. 

Lucy was sitting on one of the long sofas, her legs curled under her as she flipped through a 

variety of books  lying on the coffee table in front of her. The burgundy  curtains were all drawn  open to let in the light of the sunrise over the ocean, but there were still a few  candles scattered around the young Queen. Edmund’s frown deepened. They had been here for quite a while.

“We were going to go and wake you,” Lucy said, turning a page. “But then we figured that you needed to sleep.” Edmund walked around the couch to sit next to his sister, picking up a book as he plopped down to study the title.  _ Narnia: From the Creation of  Aslan _

“How long have you been down here?” He asked, folding back the cover and skimming the chapters. 

“Oh, only a few hours.” Lucy said, shutting her book and picking up another one.  _ Tales from the Talking Animals _

“Lucy, what are all of these books for?” Edmund scanned the selection of novels his younger sister had sprawled around her. They ranged from  fairytales to geography. 

“We are doing a bit of research on our guests.” Nyra said, before taking a book carefully between her teeth and carrying it back to the section Lucy had plucked it from. 

“Well, I suppose we feel the same then.” Edmund muttered, closing the book in his hands. “Have you found anything useful?” 

“They’re shape shifters.” Lucy said. “Snake shifters to be precise.” She  grabbed an open book on the coffee table and handed it to her brother. “Which is really strange, because technically- according to these legends, they should only be able to turn into humans at night.” Edmund read over the page.

“But they came to us during the daylight.” Edmund said, mostly to himself.

“Meaning,” Nyra jumped in, returning from the section she had disappeared into. “ Either they are lying about what they are, or these books are wrong.” 

“What I can’t figure out is if they’re humans or snakes.” Lucy pondered .

“They are neither.” Nyra growled, sitting by the table and wrapping her tail over her paws.

“What else did you find?”

“They love parties.” Lucy offered. “And… well…  they’re very… seductive.” Nyra snorted and looked at Edmund.

“They’re in constant heat.” She deadpanned.  The king shifted uncomfortably and clenched his jaw, feeling a sudden urge to assign more guards to the two Encantados. 

“There’s also a legend that suggests they often kill their mates.” Lucy said, leaning her head  back against the couch cushion.

“Lovely.” Edmund sighed, dropping his book back on the table.  Not only were they housing two half-snake siblings, they were probably going to flirt with them and  then  kill them. Life in  Cair Paravel just kept getting better as the years went on. 

“Ed, we can’t trust them.” Lucy said quietly, looking up at her brother through her bangs. There was just something about the Encantados that she hadn’t trusted from the beginning- a bad vibe that she could feel radiating through the air. Perhaps it was just paranoia since the siblings were often associated with evil, but Lucy didn’t want to be anywhere near them. 

“I agree.” Said Nyra, moving so that her body sprawled across the wooden floor with her head resting on her paws. Edmund nodded in silent agreement and met his sister’s gaze. There was no way he would ever trust those two, no matter how good of a sob story they came up with. The king’s line of vision turned to the yawn that split his emissary’s jaw.

“Nyra, did you even sleep last night?” He asked. The wolf didn’t answer. “I asked you a question.” Nyra sighed and lifted her head to look at her king. 

“No.” She mumbled, not meeting his eyes. Edmund ran a hand through his hair in frustration and Lucy quietly opened another book.  _ A Thousand and One Tales of the Dawn _

“ Please don’t tell me that you were guarding Vivian and  Zebulan’s room.”

“Alright, I won’t.”

“Bloody hell, Nyra, all night?” Edmund’s jaw was clenched angrily as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees to better glare at the wolf, who was staring calmly back at him. 

“I did what had to be done.” 

“You’re doing no good straining yourself like this.” He hissed. “I don’t care how much you don’t trust those  _things_ staying in the castle; you will never do that again.” 

The fur on the back of Nyra’s neck stood on end. “I was only doing my job.” 

“I don’t care.” Edmund sighed and leaned back, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He continued on with a softer tone. “I need you to be at your very best, and that means you need to rest.” The resentment in her amber eyes slowly began to fade away as she understood his meaning. 

“Alright,” She finally said, looking to her leader. “But I request that I rotate between you and your siblings’ rooms at night. ” Edmund chuckled, she was relentless. 

“You know,” He said, “You are not the only guard in  Cair Paravel .”

“Humor me.” Edmund shook his head.

“Fine ,  but as long as you still  _ sleep _ in our rooms.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know you all nearly well enough to do that.” Edmund rolled his eyes as the strained voice of  Carperwel cut through the library. Nyra sat up at the arrival of the griffin, and Lucy turned her head to shoot the creature a welcoming smile. 

“Good morning,  Carperwel .” Lucy chirped, “Did you sleep well?” 

“As well as one can in a mouse trap like this castle.” The griffin grumbled, making himself at home on the adjacent couch. 

“Glad to hear you are enjoying your stay.” Nyra quipped , turning so that her back wasn’t to the odd Narnian. 

“Watch your tone, wolf pet.” 

“What can you tell us about  Zebulan and Vivian?” Lucy cut in, knowing that the conversation between the two would only head south.

“Little more than you know.”  Carperwel sniffed, digging his claws into the cushions. “If you were wondering; yes, they are Encantados. They just come from a darker branch of the family tree.” 

“Is that why they have control over their shifting?” Edmund asked. 

“That is part of the reason.” The griffin said. “ Zebulan and Vivian were born and raised in the darkness. They take more power from it than many other beings, but they can still live in the daylight like their distant cousins. They are very strong for their kind.”

“Should that worry or impress us?” 

“They won’t hurt you if that is what you are asking.”  Carperwel snapped. “They are here for the sole purpose of attaining our aid and  getting back their home, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be on guard.” Nyra swiveled her head an d shot a pointed look at Edmund, whose annoyed gaze was focused on the griffin. 

“Do you think we should help them?” Lucy asked with the faintest trace of reluctance in her voice.

“I think that they won’t leave until they get what they want.”  Carperwel said. “But believe me; they are more likely to try to bed you than they are to kill you. Then again, they are even more likely to kill you after said bedding.” 

“Fat lot of help that is.” Edmund mumbled. 

“I say that we are getting nowhere simply guessing about what they’re going to do.” Nyra said. Lucy nodded in agreement.

“She’s right; we need to put trackers on those two.”

“Nyra, would you be able to spare any of your  scouts?” Edmund asked. “Right now, what we need is someone who can keep track of them, not guard them.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” Nyra stood up and dug her claws into the rug.  “By your leave, my lord.”

Edmund nodded and watched his emissary as she exited the library. He had complete trust that Nyra would be able to pick her brightest for this task.  Carperwel let out a great sigh and brushed the tip of his tail along the cool floor. 

“ I would be able to stand that wolf a lot more if she wasn’t so  stubborn all of the time.” He hissed, sliding off of the couch. “It’s like talking to a brick wall.” Edmund smirked and Lucy covered a chuckle as she flattened her dress. 

“She only does it to you,  Carperwel .” She said in amusement. 

“Of course.” The griffin rolled his eyes. “Well, if we’re about done here I will find myself looking for breakfast.” 

Edmund smiled and waved after the creature’s retreating figure. “Good morning.”

* * *

 The Pevensies were sitting in Peter’s study in the library sometime after lunch when Nyra reappeared. Although the issue of the strange creatures was on their mind, they still had much business to attend to. For one, fall was approaching and winter wouldn’t be that far off. With the colder seasons, many Narnians found it hard to survive, even though they lived a hundred years with it. The highest starvation rates were in the winter, and it was a problem that the Pevensies were determined to solve. The previous year they had tried supplying food weekly to the creatures that needed it, but the stock had quickly disappeared since Narnia was bigger on import than agriculture. The year before that, they took in as many Narnians as they could to  Cair Paravel \- with little success. There was just no good way to go about this problem.

“Well, how are the farms near  Glasswater Creek faring?” Susan asked, picking through a pile of reports. 

“We didn’t start soon enough.” Edmund said. “The crops won’t be ready to harvest in time. It shouldn’t be a problem next year, but that puts us back at square one.”

“Perhaps we should just increase our trade with  Telmar \- they have plenty of produce this time of year.” Lucy suggested. 

“But the funds might not last through the rest of the year, Lu.” Susan sighed. Peter rubbed the side of his head, elbow on the table as he slouched over the reports he had to sign. His pen lay far from the ink, dripping what remained on the mahogany desk. 

“Excuse me, your highnesses.” Nyra’s head poked through a crack in the door, and Lucy smiled at the wolf, gesturing for her to enter the room. 

“ Good afternoon, Nyra.” Susan said. “What can we do for you?”

“I have brought the scouts Edmund and Lucy requested.” The wolf said, pausing next to the chair Edmund sat in. Peter looked up from his desk, his expression similar to Susan’s- as they were both uninformed. 

“We decided,” Said Lucy, “that it would be best to put scouts on our guests to constantly track their whereabouts.” The older siblings were silent for several moments, before nodding. 

“Bring them in.” Peter ordered.

Nyra turned and stuck her head back out the door, shouting into the hall. Not two seconds later came the sound of small paws echoing through the library as the scouts followed the sound of their captain’s voice. Nyra pulled her head back into the study with a deep breath. She was really going out on a limb with the selections, but she trusted that these creatures could get the job done. The wolf sat next to Edmund and looked up at him with a helpless expression as the scouts stumbled in . The king merely smirked. 

Through the door came a black tabby, a raccoon, and a weasel. Lucy stifled a giggle behind her hand as she stared at the brown and white weasel. 

“May I introduce the scouts I have… hand-picked.” Nyra said. She turned, going down the line of who entered first.  “Kai,  Tallis , and  Pavel .”

Each creature bowed as their name was said, but only the weasel stepped forward. 

“My lieges,”  Pavel said in excitement, “I would just like to express my gratitude for this second chance.” Peter raised his eyebrow and looked at Nyra, who glared down at the weasel. 

“Thank you,  Pavel .”  Susan smiled. “Will you three please excuse us for a moment?” 

Kai,  Tallis , and  Pavel all bowed once more before turning to exit the room. Nyra followed them closely, making sure they stopped at the end of the hall. As soon as the creatures were clear  of the room, she shoved the door with her shoulder until it closed and turned back to the Pevensies with their curious stares. 

“ I know what you’re thinking- and trust me; I thought the same thing too at first.” Nyra 

explained, walking back towards the middle of the room. 

“Wasn’t  Pavel the one that spooked my horse in the stable a few months back?” Susan asked, an amused smile growing on her lips. 

“And didn’t  Orious catch  Tallis sleeping on the job?” Edmund followed up with. 

“Yes,” Nyra said, “But  please, you must trust me on this one. They may seem like strange choices, but they are the best at what they do. I would not have picked them otherwise.” 

“Then that’s enough for me.” Everyone turned their heads in surprise to look at Peter, the last person whom they would have thought to say such a thing. The king leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on the arms. 

“If you say they will get the job done, then I believe you.” Peter continued. “Have you briefed them on the twins yet?” 

“No, I was going to wait until after you all met them.” Nyra said, silently pleased by his approval. 

“Who are you going to assign to whom?” 

“Kai will watch the female,  Tallis will watch the male, and  Pavel will serve as the messenger.” Peter nodded and ignored Edmund’s jealous glare.

“Sounds good to me, does anyone have any objections?” Edmund, Lucy, and Susan were silent- the girls still amused at how easily Peter had agreed. Edmund was a different story, however. 

The dark king had never really liked Nyra having a good relationship with his brother for some reason; it rubbed him the wrong way. It seemed to him that she was his friend and his only because he had been the one to receive and raise her. He was never one for sharing, and that didn’t stop with friends. Not to say that he wasn’t trying though. For the past few years, Edmund had been trying- unsuccessfully- to detach himself from his emissary. He kept telling himself that he couldn’t be so  possessive over her. It was a dangerous thing caring so much about someone else, especially someone whose life was constantly put on the line. Any one of these days she could be killed, and he would have to keep going strong. Or at least that’s what Susan kept telling him. 

“I will go and prepare them then.” Nyra said.  “By your leave, majesties.”


End file.
